diff --git a/drivers/vdpa/mlx5/net/mlx5_vnet.c b/drivers/vdpa/mlx5/net/mlx5_vnet.c
index da21e5430434..79001301b383 100644
--- a/drivers/vdpa/mlx5/net/mlx5_vnet.c
+++ b/drivers/vdpa/mlx5/net/mlx5_vnet.c
@@ -1659,11 +1659,17 @@ static void mlx5_cvq_kick_handler(struct work_struct *work)
 	mvdev = wqent->mvdev;
 	ndev = to_mlx5_vdpa_ndev(mvdev);
 	cvq = &mvdev->cvq;
+
+	mutex_lock(&ndev->reslock);
+
+	if (!(mvdev->status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK))
+		goto out;
+
 	if (!(ndev->mvdev.actual_features & BIT_ULL(VIRTIO_NET_F_CTRL_VQ)))
-		return;
+		goto out;
 
 	if (!cvq->ready)
-		return;
+		goto out;
 
 	while (true) {
 		err = vringh_getdesc_iotlb(&cvq->vring, &cvq->riov, &cvq->wiov, &cvq->head,
@@ -1701,6 +1707,9 @@ static void mlx5_cvq_kick_handler(struct work_struct *work)
 		queue_work(mvdev->wq, &wqent->work);
 		break;
 	}
+
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&ndev->reslock);
 }
 
 static void mlx5_vdpa_kick_vq(struct vdpa_device *vdev, u16 idx)
@@ -2175,7 +2184,7 @@ static int mlx5_vdpa_change_map(struct mlx5_vdpa_dev *mvdev, struct vhost_iotlb
 		goto err_mr;
 
 	if (!(mvdev->status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK))
-		return 0;
+		goto err_mr;
 
 	restore_channels_info(ndev);
 	err = setup_driver(mvdev);
@@ -2190,12 +2199,14 @@ err_mr:
 	return err;
 }
 
+/* reslock must be held for this function */
 static int setup_driver(struct mlx5_vdpa_dev *mvdev)
 {
 	struct mlx5_vdpa_net *ndev = to_mlx5_vdpa_ndev(mvdev);
 	int err;
 
-	mutex_lock(&ndev->reslock);
+	WARN_ON(!mutex_is_locked(&ndev->reslock));
+
 	if (ndev->setup) {
 		mlx5_vdpa_warn(mvdev, "setup driver called for already setup driver\n");
 		err = 0;
@@ -2225,7 +2236,6 @@ static int setup_driver(struct mlx5_vdpa_dev *mvdev)
 		goto err_fwd;
 	}
 	ndev->setup = true;
-	mutex_unlock(&ndev->reslock);
 
 	return 0;
 
@@ -2236,23 +2246,23 @@ err_tir:
 err_rqt:
 	teardown_virtqueues(ndev);
 out:
-	mutex_unlock(&ndev->reslock);
 	return err;
 }
 
+/* reslock must be held for this function */
 static void teardown_driver(struct mlx5_vdpa_net *ndev)
 {
-	mutex_lock(&ndev->reslock);
+
+	WARN_ON(!mutex_is_locked(&ndev->reslock));
+
 	if (!ndev->setup)
-		goto out;
+		return;
 
 	remove_fwd_to_tir(ndev);
 	destroy_tir(ndev);
 	destroy_rqt(ndev);
 	teardown_virtqueues(ndev);
 	ndev->setup = false;
-out:
-	mutex_unlock(&ndev->reslock);
 }
 
 static void clear_vqs_ready(struct mlx5_vdpa_net *ndev)
@@ -2273,6 +2283,8 @@ static void mlx5_vdpa_set_status(struct vdpa_device *vdev, u8 status)
 
 	print_status(mvdev, status, true);
 
+	mutex_lock(&ndev->reslock);
+
 	if ((status ^ ndev->mvdev.status) & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK) {
 		if (status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK) {
 			err = setup_driver(mvdev);
@@ -2282,16 +2294,19 @@ static void mlx5_vdpa_set_status(struct vdpa_device *vdev, u8 status)
 			}
 		} else {
 			mlx5_vdpa_warn(mvdev, "did not expect DRIVER_OK to be cleared\n");
-			return;
+			goto err_clear;
 		}
 	}
 
 	ndev->mvdev.status = status;
+	mutex_unlock(&ndev->reslock);
 	return;
 
 err_setup:
 	mlx5_vdpa_destroy_mr(&ndev->mvdev);
 	ndev->mvdev.status |= VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_FAILED;
+err_clear:
+	mutex_unlock(&ndev->reslock);
 }
 
 static int mlx5_vdpa_reset(struct vdpa_device *vdev)
@@ -2301,6 +2316,8 @@ static int mlx5_vdpa_reset(struct vdpa_device *vdev)
 
 	print_status(mvdev, 0, true);
 	mlx5_vdpa_info(mvdev, "performing device reset\n");
+
+	mutex_lock(&ndev->reslock);
 	teardown_driver(ndev);
 	clear_vqs_ready(ndev);
 	mlx5_vdpa_destroy_mr(&ndev->mvdev);
@@ -2313,6 +2330,7 @@ static int mlx5_vdpa_reset(struct vdpa_device *vdev)
 		if (mlx5_vdpa_create_mr(mvdev, NULL))
 			mlx5_vdpa_warn(mvdev, "create MR failed\n");
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&ndev->reslock);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -2348,19 +2366,24 @@ static u32 mlx5_vdpa_get_generation(struct vdpa_device *vdev)
 static int mlx5_vdpa_set_map(struct vdpa_device *vdev, struct vhost_iotlb *iotlb)
 {
 	struct mlx5_vdpa_dev *mvdev = to_mvdev(vdev);
+	struct mlx5_vdpa_net *ndev = to_mlx5_vdpa_ndev(mvdev);
 	bool change_map;
 	int err;
 
+	mutex_lock(&ndev->reslock);
+
 	err = mlx5_vdpa_handle_set_map(mvdev, iotlb, &change_map);
 	if (err) {
 		mlx5_vdpa_warn(mvdev, "set map failed(%d)\n", err);
-		return err;
+		goto err;
 	}
 
 	if (change_map)
-		return mlx5_vdpa_change_map(mvdev, iotlb);
+		err = mlx5_vdpa_change_map(mvdev, iotlb);
 
-	return 0;
+err:
+	mutex_unlock(&ndev->reslock);
+	return err;
 }
 
 static void mlx5_vdpa_free(struct vdpa_device *vdev)